The Battle Within
by Jedi Master Sunrider
Summary: The descendant of Nomi Sunrider, Jedi Knight Cade Sunrider, finds himself deeply disturbed over the death of his mother in battle, his duties as a Jedi, and his anger, which could lead him to the Dark Side of the Force...


THE BATTLE WITHIN

By Jedi Master Sunrider

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

The attack was vicious and quick. The lightsaber's crimson blade can arcing down across her chest and the pain burned like a thousand fires. Shania Sunrider fell to her knees as the Sith warrior began to swing his blade towards her neck. Suddenly, the Sith warrior was struck down by a green blade.

Shania tipped forward, landing face-down in the grass. She saw a pair of brown boots step up and she was rolled onto her back by a Jedi Knight named Kell. Two other Knights fought off the almost numberless droids attacking them.

"Master Sunrider! Hold on!"

Kell's voice sounded distant and tinny. The sounds of battle were muffled. A dozen Jedi fought their way to a medical transport that was on-hand to care for the wounded.

A Jedi healer raced down the gangplank to Kell and Shania.

"Get her aboard!" the healer barked, pointing up the gangplank into the cavernous hold.

Kell entered the medical bay and two droids stood ready to treat Shania's wounds. He watched as they removed her garments and saw the gaping wound going from below her left breast to her navel. He cringed and turned away, using the Force to regain his composure. He left the transport to rejoin the fight.

Outside, Master Thon charged through a group of battle droids, using his massive head and lightsaber to decimate the droids in his path. Soon, the massive droid army was reduced to nothing, and the remaining droids beat a hasty retreat in the face of the Jedi.

Jedi Knight Qaysar Hamda walked over to the still form of the Sith warrior and, lightsaber blade at the corpse's neck, picked up the fallen lightsaber from the grass beside the body. "You won't be needing this anymore," he said, deactivating his own saber and replacing it on his belt.

Qaysar found Kell as he was coming off the medical ship.

He handed the Sith saber to his Master. "This is the Sith's, Master." Kell nodded and turned it over in his hands. "How is Master Sunrider?"

"I don't think it looks good for Shania, Qaysar. Her wound is deep and I felt her getting weaker as I carried her aboard." Kell had to calm himself before he continued. "I must speak with Master Tua'an."

"He is near the mass of droids, Master." He pointed out the massive Jedi's form in the distance.

Kell put his hand on Qaysar's shoulder and walked to Tua'an.

The four-legged Jedi snorted as Kell approached. "Master Tua'an, I must speak with you." He couldn't disguise the pain in his voice.

"What is it, Master Kell?"

"It's about Shania. Things are not looking good for her." He paused, gauging the old Jedi's reaction. "The medical droids are doing their best, but her wound is deep."

"Shania is strong in the Force, Master Kell. If it is the Force's will, then she will recover. We cannot bend the Force to our wills." He snorted again, and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he opened them again. "She is calling for us, Kell."

They moved quickly back to the waiting ship. They entered the ship's surgery room where Shania's weak body lay on the operating table. Both droids were standing by, idle.

Kell put his hand on her forehead and her eyes fluttered open. "We are here, Shania," he choked.

"Do not be sad for me, Kell," she whispered. "I know you did what you could, and thank you. You saved me from that Sith warrior but it was decided by the Force that I should join my parents." She smiled weakly at them. Thon's massive frame loomed over them.

"You have fulfilled your destiny, Shania," he said. "Your ancestors knew you would be a great Jedi, and you have done just that. They are proud of you. As am I. Your legacy will live on in annals of Jedi history, and you will never be forgotten."

She smiled again and shuddered as she drew her last breath. Her eyes closed and her body was still. Kell drew the thin sheet covering her body over her face and wept.

Tua'an mumbled a short prayer in his native Tchuukthai and left the room. The two droids followed Tua'an from the room.

Two days later, at the Temple grounds on Centus Six, the entire cadre of instructors and students of the Jedi Academy on Olesya Five stood before the wooden pyre in the Great Garden of Zinak. Everyone had their robe hoods pulls over their heads and they watched as the body of Jedi Master Shania Sunrider was burned in the traditional Jedi way. No one spoke, save for Master Tua'an, who gave a eulogy that brought many of the younger students to tears. Kell and Grand Master Neshoon Niandoab stood near the far left of the semi-circle with the other instructors and Masters assigned to the Academy.

Black smoke rose high into the evening sky and Shania's son, Cade Sunrider, himself a knight, let the image of his mother's funeral pyre seer into his brain. He knew he must not let anger cloud his mind, but he could feel it begin to creep into his mind. He held in an anguished scream and he could feel his pulse quicken, his face felt hot, and he clenched his fists beneath the sleeves of his robe.

He also knew the eyes of his Masters were upon him, and so were the eyes of his Padawan learner, a young girl named Sha'ar Frei. He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. He knew he wanted to avenge his mother's death, but Kell had done that already. But there were more Sith in the galaxy, and it was his job as a Jedi to destroy the Sith.

After the funeral, Cade excused himself from his Padawan and the others and went to his room. Sitting on a rug, he tuned into the Force and called to Vima for guidance and wisdom.

"I can only tell you," Shania's voice said in his mind, "that a great battle lies ahead of you and your Padawan. You must be mindful of her, as we know she has a hot temper and may be tempted by the Dark Side."

"I know, Mother, but what can I do to protect her from falling prey to such a fate?"

"That is something you must work on yourself. I cannot hold your hand anymore, my son. Now that you are a teacher, you must make these decisions on your own."

TROUBLE ON CORUSCANT

ONE MONTH LATER

Piloting the small transport, Cade and Sha'ar made their final approach on the lading pad in the business district on Coruscant's main space port. They had been sent to pick up a package from the Jedi Temple, home to the Jedi Council.

"Tell me again, Master, what we're picking up from the council," Sha'ar said, looking out the window at the massive cityscape before them.

"Grand Master Niandaob needs us to retrieve a data pad with plans for a new Jedi outpost on Sullust. It will give us a greater reach into the galaxy." He slowed the transport's engines to just above hover as they neared the landing pad. As they settled over it, he put it into hover and slowly dropped down until the landing struts touched the pad. He killed the engines and lowered the ramp. "Just follow me and stay quiet. This shouldn't take long."

"Yes, Master," she replied, and they get up and exited the ship.

On the landing pad, they were greeted by two Twi'lek Jedi, Master Eenod and his Padawan, Gend. Cade bowed slightly as he greeted Eenod, who bowed back. "Welcome to Coruscant, Cade. We were very sorry to hear about your mother," Eenod said, turning to face the walkway.

The four Jedi began the short walk to the terminal. Cade used a remote to close the ship's gangplank. They entered the terminal and walked to a room not far from the entrance. As they neared the door, blaster shots echoed throughout the terminal and Gend went down, haven taken a shot to back. He writhed in pain.

"Gend!" his Master shouted, and the Jedi drew and activated their lightsabers. Spinning around, they saw a dozen security droids with blasters randomly firing around the terminal as travelers scattered. Some drew blasters of their own and proceeded to return fire.

"Stay with him!" Cade instructed Sha'ar. "I've got a bad feeling about this!" he mumbled.

The two Jedi charged into the fray, using their blades to destroy the out-of-control droids. When it was over, more than fifty were either dead or wounded and medical droids quickly responded to treat the injured.

Returning to the fallen Jedi and his Padawan, Cade kneeled down beside them as Eenod retrieved an herbal treatment for his Padawan's injury.

"Let's get him inside the room," Cade said, picking up the Twi'lek, who's long brain-tails, or lekku, dragging along the floor as he was moved into the room.

Inside, a table with several chairs was the only things to populate the room. Cade laid Gend on his stomach on the table and Eenod began to treat the blaster wound.

"Will he be okay?" Sha'ar asked, holding Gend's hand.

"Only time will tell, young one," Eenod replied.

Chanting an incantation and placing the herbal mixture on the charred blaster wound, Eenod closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling the energy of the Force and his own powers as a heeler flow into the body of his Padawan.

Gend whimpered as the herbs began to take effect. Sha'ar squeezed his hand.

"Hang in there, Gend," she said, in a calm, soothing voice.

"We must get him to the Temple. My magic can only do so much for him. Sha'ar, keep him calm while I call for a transport back to the Temple."

Outside, another barrage of blaster fire echoed in the hallway. This time, however, it was more intense and the sounds of dozens of droids could be heard.

"Oh, great," Cade mumbled, unhooking his lightsaber.

He looked out the doorway, just enough to assess the situation and not draw attention to himself. He saw an entire battalion of droids in the hallway, moving slowly, steadily closing in on the room.

"We are in serious trouble if those droids are looking for us," he said to the others as the door slid shut.

"What are you talking about?" Sha'ar said, her head snapping up to look at him.

"There are more than a dozen security droids coming this way," Cade replied. He pulled out his com-link and an image of Grand Master Niandaob appeared on the small pad in front of him.

"Yes, Kell? Have you retrieved the plans?"

"Grand Master, we are in trouble. It seems that an entire battalion of security droids are headed in our direction."

"Do not risk the security of those plans, Cade," Niandaob said sternly.

"Gend has been wounded, Master," Cade said, quieting his voice as the sounds of the droids drew nearer.

Suddenly, a tinny voice was heard outside the door. It was the sound of an Hk-57 bounty hunter droid.

"I want those Jedi found! Tear this station apart if you have to!"

The security droids acknowledged the order and the sounds of metallic clanking could be heard moving off in different directions outside the

door. Cade turned off his com-link and looked at the Eenod and Sha'ar. Using the Force, he spoke to Eenod. "What do we do? We're trapped in here."

Eenod shook his head. Pointing to a cooling vent in the floor, he whispered to them all, "If we use the vent system, we can make our way to

the Jedi Temple and safety. There is a network of tunnels beneath the cityscape that leads directly to the Temple."

Sha'ar and Cade nodded. Eenod looked at Gend's wound. It was beginning to heal a little, but he needed greater care. Cade moved swiftly to the

vent and popped it out of the floor. It was just big enough for them to squeeze through, one by one.

Cade went first, waiting to take Gend and carry the young Padawan the six miles to the Temple. Eenod handed the boy down to Cade, and then Sha'ar

joined her Master. Eenod went last, slipping the grate back into place. Quietly, they moved through the vent system, stopping every so often to

check their progress. When they had cleared the space port's confines, the tunnel system that carried out waste from the port opened up, and was

suddenly twice as wide. Eenod stopped the group to check on Gend's blaster wound. It was beginning to fester, he could see. He put some more herbs on it to slow

the decay left by the blaster bolt.

"We are almost to the Temple," Eenod said, after almost an hour of silence. "We must take the next left and go another mile. That will put us just outside the Temple."

The others nodded and trudged on. The last leg was covered in about twenty minutes. Darkness had set in while they were in the tunnels, and

they emerged near a park beside the Temple. Transports and speeders zoomed above them, creating a lot of noise, perfect to hide their accent.

They emerged dirty, smelly, and exhausted.

"We must hurry," Eenod said, looking at the pale face of his Padawan in the dim street lights.

They walked to the front doors, and Eenod used his hand to grant them access to the Temple.

Once inside, medical droids were called and Gend was taken to the infirmary. Sha'ar wanted to go with him, but Cade said no.

"He will be okay, Sha'ar. We have business to attend to." Cade gave her a warm, but stern look. A Council member, Master Carib Dalon approached

them with a look of surprise.

"Master Dalon," Cade said, and they all bowed to the lack/blue-furred Bothan.

"Cade Sunrider," Dalon said with a low rumble in his voice. "It has been a very long time. We have heard of your mother's passing. We on the

Council were all very sad to hear about it. But why have you come here to the Temple. Master Eenod was sent to deliver the plans to you at the

space port."

"Master," Eenod said, "we were attacked by security droids and a droid bounty hunter. The port was no longer a safe location. Their ship is most likely in impound by now."

"You must contact your Masters at the Academy and let them know of your situation," Dalon said, looking at Cade.

Cade replied, "I have already appraised them of our situation, Master. We are to wait here until further instructed by Master Thon."

The Bothan scratched his furry, dog-like snout and nodded. "Very well. We will see to it that you have accommodations and fresh clothes. We will

be eating shortly in the main hall. Please go and refresh yourselves. We will see you shortly."

He called for two young Jedi to escort Cade and Sha'ar to empty rooms and bring them fresh garments.

That night, Cade laid awake in his bed, his mind focused on memories of his mother and grandmother, the venerable Jedi Master Nomi Sunrider. But

the more he thought about them, the more the anger in his heart began to burn. He knew he would fight the Sith who remained in the galaxy. But he

was letting the anger get the better of him. He could feel it creep up his spine and infuse itself in his brain. He hated the Sith and all they stood for in the galaxy. Suddenly, he let out a long, anguished cry that shook the room.

As she lay in her own room next door to her Master, Sha'ar was just beginning to fall asleep when she heard his cry. She bolted upright and

looked at the wall separating them. Reaching out with the Force, she felt his anger and pain and ran next door.

"Master Cade?" she said, opening the door to his room.

Cade looked at her with surprise and fear in his eyes. Sweat was starting to form on his forehead and upper lip.

"Are you okay?" she asked, walking deeper into his room.

"I'm fine, Sha'ar," he said, his throat dry. He swallowed. A cup of water was near his bed and he reached for it with a shaking hand. Water spilled over the side. He nearly dropped the whole cup. He drank deeply, and finished the glass without stopping.

"What troubles you, Master?" Sha'ar approached Cade and stopped short of his bed.

"Don't concern yourself with my troubles, Sha'ar. Just do as I tell you, okay?"

She looked hurt, and he could feel her disappointment at being closed out. She was only fourteen, but she was a good apprentice.

"I'm sorry," Cade said. "I'm just having bad dreams. I'll be okay."

"I can sense your fear and apprehension, Master Cade," Sha'ar said, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I sense….. it's about your mother."

Cade was shocked. She was a good student – rambunctious and sometimes foolish – but she had an uncanny ability to tap into the Force and read a person's mind. She had always been good at that.

"Yes…" he said. "I'm not even going to ask who you knew that, but yes. I miss her deeply."

"I can sense your anger and fear, Master. I just hope you can control your emotions and carry on with our mission."

Young… and incredibly smart.

"I will, Sha'ar. Now, go back to bed. Good night."

She said good night and went back to her own room. Neither slept much that night.

The following day, Cade met with the High Council in a closed meeting while Sha'ar went to see Gend and Master Eenod. Gend was conscious and chatting with his master when she walked in. They looked at her, and Sha'ar bowed as Eenod turned her way.

"Master, I was just coming to check on Gend. See how he's feeling."

"I'm fine," Gend said, shifting slightly. He winced in pain.

The next few days passed quietly, with Cade sharing information with the members of the Council. Gend's wound mended slowly, and Sha'ar found herself spending more an more time with him. They developed a bond that eventually grew to something more. Both knew that their time together was short, but they knew that their friendship was something different.

After almost a week on Coruscant, Eenod and Cade were once again summoned to the Council's chambers, only this time, Luke Skywalker sat by himself.

He seemed to be lost in thought as they entered and bowed.

"Master Skywalker," they said in unison.

Luke looked up at them and stood. "Cade, something has been bothering me since you and Sha'ar arrived."

He walked up to Cade and Eenod and stood almost face-to-face with Cade.

"What is it, Master Skywalker?" Cade asked, feeling as if he had done something wrong.

"You said a bounty hunter droid was searching the terminal for you four. Please, tell me why a bounty hunter would be looking for you."

Cade felt fear begin to creep into his chest. He had a feeling his past was catching up with him. But why here? What did Luke know? Or want to

know?

"Master Skywalker," he started. "I-I... I think we have a problem on our hands."

"I'd say so, Cade. Now, just what kind of trouble is it?"

The young knight looked away from one of the men he admired above all else. He took a deep breath, and felt the tension in his shoulders and back increase.

"Master, about a year or so ago, Sha'ar and I were on a mission to Yavin 2 and came across a smuggling operation on the planet. We attempted to apprehend them, but a bounty hunter called IG-108 was there to protect the camp. Sha'ar managed to destroy a shipment of Corellian spices with a thermal detonator. She managed not to get caught, but I was caught off-guard by IG-108. He had me in a near death grip around my neck. My lightsaber had been thrown several feet away when I initially turned to face him. It was Sha'ar who saved my life. She sliced his torso in half, and we managed to make a break for it back to the ship. I blacked out when I hit the floor. She grabbed my saber and dragged me back to the ship. The way I figure it, he's come back to hunt us down. I guess there was some sort of tracking beacon placed on our ship or something because he was at the space port when we landed. We may surely have been discovered in the port if Eenod hadn't thought of using the vents to reach the sewer system. We are very grateful for his help."

"And we are thankful you managed to bring Gent back alive, Cade,"

Skywalker replied. "He is a very bright student and aspiring knight. And your Padawan seems to have taken quite a shining to him."

Cade grinned. "She stayed with him while Master Eenod and I destroyed the

garrison of renegade security droids shooting up the terminal."

Luke smiled back and stepped back from Cade. "Now, what do you plan to do

about this bounty hunter tail of yours?"

"Well, if I had known that he was still alive, I would have been more

cautious about my ventures. I have been thinking of setting a trap for

him, but without knowing where he is... I'm sort of at a loss for words,

right now."

Skywalker nodded and sat back. "I sense that IG-108 is looking to set a trap for you and your Padawan."

"I feel that too, Master Skywalker. But the question is when, and where."

Cade had made contact with the Academy and Master Niandoab had urged their return to the Academy. A ship belonging to an as-yet unidentified enemy had launched an attack, killing dozens of Jedi and younglings. Cade had informed Luke of the situation.

"We make for the Academy at once to render aide," he said when Cade and Eenod told him the news. To his fellow Council members, a Trandoshian named Dolvan Odan-Urr, a female Twi'lek named Misam Ronansi, and another human, Paleas Jemini, he said, "We must send out a distress signal to the outlying systems to bring reinforcements to fend off whatever is attacking the Academy."

The others nodded. It was time to retaliate and defeat the invaders.

A large number of Jedi and their apprentices were ordered to large transport ships in the docking bay at the rear of the Temple and others were recalled from missions on outlying systems, ordered to proceed directly to Centus Six.

The flight to Centus Six was relatively short, the flight through hyperspace lasting only a few minutes. When they came out of hyperspace, the pilots were stunned to see six enormous battle cruisers hovering above the planet's atmosphere.

"All ships, full deflector shields! Prepare to fire if fired upon!" the pilot of the lead Jedi ship called over his radio.

Across the fleet, blast shields went up and gunners prepared to unleash a wall of laser fire when instructed.

Cade, Luke and Eenod stood on the bridge of the flag ship, watching the six giant ships sit in place. They could sense a Force-sensitive being on one of the ships in their midst. Looking at the planet's surface, they could see smoke rising from burning swaths of land below.

"Master Skywalker, what should we do?" the pilot asked. "Should we open fire?"

"Not until we find out who the Hell these ships belong to," Skywalker replied, his gaze falling on the area where the Academy should be. He had a feeling, a nagging, dreadful feeling, that he knew who those ships belonged to. "Are their shields up, Captain?"

"Nothing is showing on our scanners, sir," the pilot replied. "Either they're not using it, or they are trying to trick us."

Luke felt his chest tighten as he recognized the Chiss battle cruisers in front of him.

"Those are Chiss ships," he said to his companions. "We must get our people onto the planet immediately! Have the shuttles prepared to launch in thirty minutes."

"What about the Force-sensitive being on the flagship, Master Skywalker?"

Eenod asked, casting a worrisome glance at the leader of the Jedi Order.

"I have a feeling we will meet it soon," Luke replied, his gaze never leaving the massive cruisers.

The ships were heavily modified Star Destroyers that the Chiss had purchased from the Emperor before the Battle of Endor, where the Emperor eventually lost his life on the second Death Star at the hands of Luke's father, Darth Vader.

All the Jedi Masters, Knights and Padawans aboard the ships gathered in the docking bays, boarding small transports and streamed down to the planet's surface. Luke, his fellow Council members, Cade, Sha'ar and Eenod were aboard the first shuttle to the planet. Over one hundred other Jedi were either on their way down or already at the Academy grounds when the first volley of laser fire came raining down on them from the Chiss ships. The Jedi ships returned fire, concentrating most of their firepower on the flagship, where the Force-sensitive being was.

Laser cannons hurled bolt after bolt of laser fire down on the enemy ships, but their deflector shields were too strong. Even the Jedi's own captured Star Destroyer, the Avenger, couldn't penetrate the shield with its turbo lasers.

On the ground, the Jedi raced to the Academy, which was burning and obliterated. Hundreds were dead, including Master Niandoab. Even more were wounded. In the chaos, Jedi healers and medical droids began triaging the wounded. Luke stood in shock, watching Jedi and droids race about around the grounds. A female human Padawan, maybe no more than seven or eight, covered in blood and scorch marks, stumbled up to Luke and collapsed at his feet. He dropped down and lifted the barely-breathing

girl into his arms.

Eenod and Cade jumped into the confusion immediately, helping carry the injured from the smoldering remains of the Academy. Other Jedi set up a perimeter around the school, and some helped set up a headquarters for Luke and his Council.

Luke cradled the girl in his arms, and he closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force to assess the girl's injuries. She was hurt badly, but her injuries would heal. He quickly took her to the appropriate area in the triage center.

Above them, a fierce battle raged on. The Jedi cruisers and the Avenger poured every bit of firepower they could muster into bringing down the Chiss Star Destroyers. Suddenly, a blinding flash from one of the Chiss ships slammed into the Jedi flagship, destroying the bridge. The massive cruiser lurched sideways, colliding with a smaller medical ship. Both wrecked ships floated towards the planet's atmosphere, where they would fall like billion-ton bricks to the surface.

From the Chiss flagship, the Force-sensitive being, a Sith Lord named Dennok stood in silence, watching the destruction unfold. He ordered another salvo of laser bolts directed at the Academy. As the salvo went out from the ship's turbo lasers, a blast rocked the ship. Alarms sounded and he found it best to retreat to the shuttle bay, where he and a garrison of fellow Sith, their Force auras hidden by the ysalamiri, creatures that created a bubble the Force could not penetrate, could take their shuttle down to the surface and attack the Jedi under the protection of the ships and their massive lasers.

The garrison of maybe one hundred Sith warriors, knew they would be unable to defeat the entire Jedi group on the planet, but Dennok was after one in particular - Cade Sunrider. He had learned through a holocron that Cade had been the Jedi who, some five years before, had killed his brother in a duel on the planet Sullust. He had envisioned attacking the Jedi Academy and facing Cade in a one-on-one duel in the ruins. He had not anticipated the sudden appearance of a fleet of Jedi ships. Now, as the transport raced away from the badly damaged ship, revenge filled his thoughts.

After a quick flight, the shuttle touched down and the blue-skinned, humanoid Chiss Sith Lord and his minions fanned out and watched as another volley of laser fire rocked the school grounds. When it let up, and more Jedi were laying on the ground, dead or wounded, the Sith attacked, red lightsabers slicing across bodies and inhuman yells filling the air.

Luke turned to face the invaders, drawing his lightsaber and igniting the green blade. Suddenly, every Jedi not caring for the wounded was by his side, an array of different colored blades humming in the chaotic sound of screaming and collapsing structures inside the Academy.

"STAND BY!" Luke called to those around him. Cade and Sha'ar stood nearby, with Lowbacca, a giant Wookie Jedi, and nephew of Luke's late friend, Chewbacca. As the Sith came streaming towards them, Luke raised his left arm, and as the Sith horde descended upon them, he dropped his hand and the entire group of Jedi charged headlong into the Sith ranks, purple, blue, green and Lowbacca's bronze-colored blade hacking at the red Sith blades.

As the battle raged, (the Sith guy) stood and looked for Cade. When he spotted the young Jedi, he jumped into the fight, hacking his way through Jedi and Sith alike. He was blinded by the rage in his eyes, and held no regard for warriors on either side. His had his target and would do whatever it took to get revenge. As the large, blue-skinned Chiss closed the gap between them, Cade hacked off his opponent's head with a deft stroke of his lightsaber. The Sith Lord charged in, red blade rotating through the air. Cade took up his fighting stance, and as the Sith swung at him, he matched the Chiss move for move. Battle raged on around them, but in that moment, time slowed down so Cade could see his opponent's moves.

"You killed my brother!" the Chiss yelled, using a Force push to knock

Cade backwards. Cade leapt to his feet, and went on the offensive, hacking away at the enraged Chiss. It soon became apparent that they were evenly matched, and the Sith decided to fight dirty. He pulled out a vibroblade knife from his waistband and slashed at Cade's torso. The blade found its target, and the Jedi grunted in pain. The cut was deep and Cade felt himself weakening. He dropped to his knees, still forcing his saber's blade against the Chiss'.

"This is the moment I have been dreaming about for five years, Jedi!" he growled.

He raised both his blades and started to bring them down when a green blade shot through his chest. He looked down at his chest, gasping in disbelief. The blade disappeared and the Chiss fell to the grass. Cade looked up to see Luke Skywalker standing over him. He held his stomach with one hand, and let the lightsaber drop to the grass beside him. He rolled on his side, groaning in agony. Looking around, the Jedi had overwhelmed and killed their Sith opponents. Many of their friends and colleagues lay dead. Eenod rushed to Cade's side as Luke bent down to help him up.

"Hang in there, Cade!" Eenod said, as he and Luke carefully walked Cade to the triage station, his arms draped around their shoulders. His head lolled forward and he passed out from the pain.

The battle was a blur as the lightsabers crashed against one another. Sha'ar knew she was losing ground and in an instant, she felt a searing pain in her chest. She looked down and saw a vibroblade sticking out of her chest. Gasping in disbelief, she turned her eyes to her opponent, who grinned a wicked, toothy grin. He sneered as he pushed the blade deeper into her body. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the ground, dead. In the darkness, only the green blade of Cade Sunrider's lightsaber revealed the carnage around him. To his left, Eenod's lifeless body sat against the wall where he had taken his last

gasps. To his right, was Gend. He too, had died at Cade's hand. Now, his beautiful Padawan lay at his feet, and he felt no remorse. But the man who had slaughtered these Jedi was no longer one himself. He was Darth Carun, Sith Lord. His eyes burned with the hatred of a million suns.

Cade sat straight up in his medward bed, sweating heavily. He looked around the dark room, listening to the sounds of the machines monitoring his vital signs. He panted for several long moments, then forced himself to calm down. How long had he been out? Where exactly was he?

He felt his stomach, looking for signs of the wound the vibroblade had caused. He found a short scar that had been healed by a stint in the bacta tank. He disconnected the wires attached to his chest and head and immediately heard a piercing alarm go off in his room and the lights came on. The medical droids assigned to him rushed into the room, and stopped when they saw him sitting up.

"Shut off those blasted alarms!" Cade yelled over the blaring alarm.

The alarm stopped after several moments.

"Where am I?" he asked the droids. "How long have I been out?"

"You are at the Jedi Temple on Yavin 2," one droid responded with a metallic voice. "You have been here for the last six days."

"SIX days?" he gasped. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and laid down on his bed.

"Yes, Master," came a small voice from his left.

He looked over and saw Sha'ar sitting nearby, her face streaked with tears. He reached out his hand and she took it.

The door to his room slid open again and Luke entered, along with his son, Jedi Knight Ben, and niece, Jedi Master Jaina Solo. Sha'ar stood and bowed to the three older Jedi.

"Greetings, Master Skywalker," she said, as she righted her posture.

Cade bowed his head a little, letting the dizziness subside. Luke walked over to him, and touched his shoulder.

"How do you feel, son?"

"I don't know, Master," Cade replied. "I keep having these terrible dreams. I don't want to let them cloud my judgment, but I feel like something is causing these awful dreams."

Luke looked into the young man's eyes. "You must work to rid yourself of whatever negative feelings you're experiencing, Cade."

"Yes, Master. I'm trying."

"As a wise man once told me," Luke said quietly to Cade, "do or do not. There is no 'try'." Cade smiled. "Just focus on your training of Sha'ar. She needs you."

"Yes, Master Skywalker." Luke smiled and turned to his son and niece. They left in silence. So did the droids. For the next few weeks, Cade trained his Padawan as best he could. He gave her training missions to complete on her own; find a hidden object deep in the jungle; rebuild broken pieces of comlinks; things that any Jedi would have an easy time doing. She felt herself growing stronger mentally and her skills with a lightsaber were improving greatly. But as the time passed, she sensed something was amiss with her Master and friend. Cade hadn't been open about his nightmares, and as a result, he felt his mind beginning to slip. He dreamed about his mother, watching her be killed in battle. He saw himself standing on the battlefield, and watching, helplessly frozen in terror, as the Sith's crimson blade sliced across her torso, creating the mortal wound. He had seen holocrons of the battle and knew what had happened. But his dreams didn't always revolve around her. Many times, he had the dream where he slaughtered Sha'ar, Gend and Eenod.

Luke and his fellow Council members were wrapped up in meetings and negotiations, much of their time being spent off-planet. They didn't notice Cade's slow decent into madness. Sha'ar became increasingly distraught as Cade's demeanor changed. She spoke with Eenod many times, and things always ended up going one way: Cade was fine. He was just stressed out. Go back and learn.

PATH TO THE DARK SIDE

Almost two years had passed by now since the destruction of the academy. The dead were one with the Force. The Academy was rebuilt. New instructors from various locations around the known galaxy were being recruited to replace the lost instructors. Gend had been promoted to Jedi Knight and had taken a Padawan of his own, a small Sullustan boy named Skeen. Sha'ar had just turned 19, and Cade had recommended she take the trials to Knighthood. Luke had agreed, as she had shown much potential. Her anger was gone and she had become a model Jedi. Luke had agreed to let her face the trials, and now, she was going to earn her Knighthood. Cade was now more disjointed than ever. His dreams, his nightmares, had plagued him so much that he was now no longer the great Jedi he had once been. Everyone was seeing the change now. Luke and the Council could feel the anger and hate swelling within him. Cade's imbalance forced the Council to promote Sha'ar to Knighthood quicker than they had anticipated and they forced Cade into exile. No one could have anticipated what happened a few months later.

Deep in exile on Cirrus Twelve, Cade found himself face-to-face with a specter from his past. He was staring at Darth Caedus, the Sith Lord once known as Jacen Solo. But Caedus was supposedly dead by his sister's hand.

"Jacen?" Cade whispered. "You're... you're dead."

"Cade, I am alive. What those Jedi failed to see about me was that I had discovered the lost tomb of Darth Plagueis, and with it, the secrets of eternal life. Even Emperor Palpatine couldn't figure that one out. I sense that you have become a shell of your former self, Cade."

Caedus stepped towards his old friend, extending his hand, which Cade took. "You are filled with anger and hate for those who murdered your mother. But take heart. They are not your true enemy. Those that cast you out, my Uncle and sister and cousin. They are your enemy."

Cade felt a stabbing pain in his chest. The thought of him betraying Sha'ar and his friends hurt greatly, but he had been exiled by the Jedi Council. Jacen was right. They were his enemy now. The man who was once Jacen Solo knew he had at last found someone who would be worthy of being his apprentice. "Cade Sunrider, you no longer need to wear the title of Jedi. You were shunned by their Order. You are fit to be a Sith, a member of the TRUE power in the Universe!"

"I-I dedicate my service and life to you, Lord Caedus."

"Kneel, Cade, son of Sunrider." Cade dropped onto his left knee. "From this day forward, you will be known as Darth Carun... Lord of the Sith!" He placed a hand on Cade's shoulder. "Arise, my old friend."

Cade stood, and felt his mind clearing. It was all so simple to him now. He would help his old friend eradicate the new Jedi Order. He looked at his new Master, and Caedus watched as Cade's blue-green eyes changed to a yellow-orange color.

After more than six months of trials and studying Sith holocrons, Carun was at last ready to return to the Jedi Temple and go to war. The eyes of the Jedi Council were on a sparring match where Sha'ar and Gend used training lightsabers to test their strengths when alarms began blaring across the Temple.

Luke was running down a corridor towards his chambers when he was greeted by Ben, who was out of breath. "Dad, we've got several Chiss ships sitting in orbit and firing on the Temple!"

"Get all the pilots to their ships and launch a full counter-assault!"

Luke replied, patting his son on the arm.

"I'm on it!"

Ben ran off to find the pilots' quarters.

Deep within one of the Chiss cruisers, the two Sith Lords watched as green laser bolts streaked towards the Temple nestled in the jungle. A Chiss captain walked up to them.

"Lord Caedus, Lord Carun. We will begin our invasion shortly."

"Very good, Captain. We will be on board that first shuttle, understood?"

"Yes, my Lord."

The Chiss bowed slightly and turned away.

Thirty minutes later, a small armada of transports were carrying Chiss

warriors and the two Sith Lords towards the planet's surface. In his mind, Cade Sunrider was still himself. He was only Darth Caroun in name. He could feel the emotional war in his brain fighting with the one in his heart. Were his old Jedi brethren really his enemies? Was the former Jacen Solo really his ally? He could remember the turmoil within Jacen when his brother, Anakin, was killed in battle all those years before. He had watched his friend go over the edge and become a Sith.

As the shuttles entered the atmosphere of Coruscant, they shook violently for a few moments as they passed through. Suddenly, laser fire began buffeting the landing shuttles. Several exploded as laser bolts tore through them. Alarms blared inside the shuttle and the pilots began evasive maneuvers. In an instant, a bolt sheared off the shuttle's right wing. It sent the shuttle into a spin as the pilots struggled to correct their trajectory and get themselves out of the spin.

"FIX IT!" Caedus screamed.

"We're trying, Lord Caedus!" the co-pilot replied.

As the shuttle hurtled towards the ground, the pilots managed to correct the shuttle and crash-landed on the Temple grounds. More ships that survived the laser fire landed nearby, and were met with dozen of Jedi Knights with glowing lightsabers. Chiss warriors with blaster rifles were annihilated by the Jedi as they attacked. Soon, the two Sith were staring at their former allies. Luke walked out in front of the group, and stared down the two Sith Lords. His jaw dropped.

"Caedus?" Luke stared in disbelief. "You're dead!"

"Am I, Uncle Luke?" Caedus said, drawing his lightsaber.

A knot had formed in Cade's stomach, and he felt the conflict inside growing. Sha'ar moved up next to Luke and stared at him. He glanced at his new Master, then back at his former Padawan. He drew his own lightsaber. Caedus began to walk forward, his lit saber swinging by his side.

Luke broke from the ranks of Jedi and moved to meet his nephew. In a flash, they were on each other, swinging and blocking, parrying and thrusting. No one dared interfere. Except for Cade. He watched in horror as Luke began losing ground. He was no young man, and was quickly being broken down systematically.

Luke's mind was still as sharp as ever, but his body was weakening under the blows and the beating Caedus was giving him. He managed to continue to block and move, but he was slowing down. Suddenly, he was on the ground and his lightsaber hand was trapped under his nephew's boot, the red lightsaber inches from his neck. Still, no Jedi moved. If they were compelled to do anything, they stayed back, knowing that Luke's fight was his own. But Cade was suddenly on Caedus' left, his own lightsaber blade sweeping away his Master's.

"What are you doing, my Apprentice?" Caedus snarled, his eyes glowing at Cade.

"This is not why we came here!" Cade said.

Using the Force, Caedus pushed Cade back a few feet and put his blade back near Luke's face.

Now, the conflict within Cade had reached a boiling point. He knew that he made a mistake. He summoned all his strength and unleashed a Force blast hard enough to send Caedus flying through the air.

Caedus landed several feet away, giving Luke time to get to his feet and Jaina and Ben ran to his side. Cade had the eyes of many Jedi on him. He felt his blood curdle as Sha'ar moved back, unsure of her feelings. Caedus stared at his sister, cousin and uncle. He saw his apprentice throw his lightsaber away. He felt his hatred grow. He raised his lightsaber and saw Ben and Jaina ignite their sabers.

"Darth Carun! What are you doing?" he bellowed.

"I cannot continue down this path! It is not who I am!" Cade responded, feeling great shame wash over him. He felt himself return to his old mindset. His hatred for the Jedi left him. He turned his back on everyone and walked away. No more. He could not continue to face his former peers with dignity.

Caedus let out a battle cry and charged his family. After a swift and lopsided fight, he was killed again. This time, no matter what he had learned from a hidden mural inside Darth Plagueis' tomb about eternal life, he would not come back.

Cade fled the planet in a Chiss shuttle and disappeared into the solar system. He found solitude on Yavin 2 in the ruins of a Jedi Temple. He spent years studying the Jedi holocrons that were left behind, working to clear his mind of all the hatred he had felt, worked to resolve his feelings over his mother's death.

REDEMPTION

After six years in self-imposed exile, Cade activated a distress beacon located in the old library. Two days later, a Jedi ship appeared over the temple ruins. Cade sat in meditation when a voice echoed throughout the walls.

"Hello?" Sha'ar's voice called.

Cade's eyes snapped open, and he reached out with the Force to her. She and her apprentice soon found him, looking grizzled and emaciated. He looked up at her and smiled. He had a long beard, long, disheveled hair, and his clothes were in tatters.

"Cade?" she asked hesitantly. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Sha'ar." He smiled and stood. She watched with trepidation and concern as he moved towards them.

"Don't come any closer, Cade," she said. "What have you been doing for the last six years?"

"Finding my center. After meeting Jacen Solo again… after the confrontation on Coruscant… I needed to find myself again."

He smiled at her, assured her that he was unarmed and wished them no harm. When asked why he triggered the beacon, he replied that he felt it was time to end his exile and ask for forgiveness from Luke and return to the Jedi Order. Sha'ar reached out with the Force and felt his aura. Indeed, he had cleansed himself of the Dark Side. He had renounced his Sith name.

"Take me back with you, Sha'ar. I am ready to be a member of the Order again. Please."

"I sense your intentions are pure, Cade. Gather your things."

Her Padawan, a twelve-year old Nautolan boy named Jet Bakaar, looked at her and said, "Master, are you sure you can trust this man?"

"Yes, Jet," she replied. "He was my Master." She explained that she could read his emotions and thoughts and saw he was no longer the disjointed man she had known in her teens.

After a two-day trip back to Coruscant, Cade found himself kneeling before the entire twelve-member Jedi Council. Sha'ar was by his side, herself on one knee. Luke studied the fallen Jedi, reaching with his thoughts to see into the other man's mind. Luke held his gaze on the kneeling fallen Jedi. He knew what the other man was feeling, as he, too, had been down that road a long time before.

"I know the struggle to maintain your sanity, Cade Sunrider," he said after a moment of silence. "I have been down that dark path myself. But I found my way back. And from what I sense, so have you."

"Yes, Master Skywalker," Cade responded, his eyes locked on Luke. "I have spent the last six years in the Temple on Yavin 4, studying the old holocrons, focusing on clearing my mind of the negativity that clouded it. I am not the man I was when I left into exile. It was a long journey, but I have managed to let go of my anger and frustrations."

Luke regarded him for a moment, before looking around at his Councilmembers. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. In that moment, he looked into Cade's thoughts. His mind was clear. Luke walked over to Cade and Sha'ar. Then, he knelt in front of them. "You have redeemed yourself, Cade," he said in a low voice. "This is no easy journey. We will deliberate your fate in a closed meeting. You will know our answer in the morning."

Cade nodded and they rose. They bowed to the rest of the Council, turned, and walked out of the room. The discussion lasted the rest of the day and well into the night, and by midnight, Luke had his verdict. And it was one not easily decided upon.

The next morning, Cade was called into the Council's chamber alone. Sha'ar and her Padawan stayed outside. When Cade walked inside, he was greeted by Luke alone.

"What has been decided," Skywalker said, "was not voted up lightly. Many on the Council think you are still a loose cannon. I do not. However, you have been given something many fallen Jedi do not receive: a second chance. I have lost too many good Jedi to loose another. However..." Luke paused, collecting his thoughts, "I have decided to keep you here on Temple grounds, until you have proven to us your trustworthiness. Is that understood?"

Cade looked at Luke with tears in his eyes. "Yes, Master."

"Welcome home... Brother," Luke said, smiling. He reached into his cloak and pulled out Cade's old lightsaber. He handed it back to the younger Jedi, and the weight and cool feel of the metal in his hand was a welcome feeling.

Cade bowed his head. "Thank you, Master."

That afternoon, Cade began his new job: two years as apprentice to the head librarian, Master Hanna Anduin. And he knew he would enjoy it.


End file.
